Artificially colored building material



Nov; 19, 1935. o. R. nou'n-IETT ARTIFICIALLY COLORED BUILDING MATERIAL original Filed March 2, 1931 1 INVENTOR E. Daun/Err: Bgm/0m producing the same. i

VPatented Nov. 19.,` 1935v l `UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE 2,021,116 An'rmcmnmr comas BUILDING 4omi n. Donnie, Perth Amboy, N. J.. mig-nor t i The Patent and Licensing Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts original application Much a, 19:1, serial No. 519,672, new raient No. 1,910,953. mea Amin Divided and this application August s. 1934. sei-iai No. 738.910 i fiamma. alos-'1), l, I

,This invention relates to composition roofing 'or siding material surfaced with granules that are artificially colored and to a new method of the demand for and sales of composition roofing-- and siding material is the variety of colors in which it may be supplied. The natural crushed slates or other surfacing material occur in only certain colors or shades. Consequently, it has become necessary to articially color the surfacing material in order to provide roofing or siding exhibiting the desired color or combination of colors.

A number of methods have heretofore been proposed for the production of composition roofingY or siding material having artificially colored mineral granules thereon. According to certain of these methods the coloring process involves the treatment of mineral granules with a coloring agent and a silicate such as sodium silicate, the granules being subsequently subjected to kiln 'treatment at high temperatures, often exceeding 1500 F. Of course, the employment of these high temperatures limits the granules that may be employed 4 to those of mineral composition and the range `of colors and shades that may be produced because coloring media that are adversely aiected by these high temperatures cannot be used.

Moreover in all of these processes it has beeny customary, first to colonthegranules artificially and then to partially embed layer of asphalt. I

When the granules are ilrst artificially colored by certain processes involving the use of a potential xing or binding agent such as sodium silicate and subsequently partially embedding the the granules in a artificially colored granules in asphalt, a marked tendency of the asphalt to blister has been obi served. l

From what I have observed yin the course of my experimentations directed towards the causes and prevention of asphalt blistering, I believe that the phenomenon of blistering bears a direct relationto the fixing or binding agent that surrounds the granules partially embedded in t'ne asphalt. In practice, sodium silicate is the potential fixing agent mostgcommonly employed protect it from the deleterious action of the weather. This particular potential xing agent, (as well as others). when treated according to certain practices heretofore known, is hygroscopic and adsorbs or occludes air or moisture which in volume measurement may be as much as twice that of the coated granule. I believe that some small areas of the silicate coated gran-l ules are surrounded by the asphalt, but are not wetted thereby, and these unwetted areas, upon or in which air or moisture is occluded or other- A,wise contained, are the cause of theblistering tendency. The heat of the sun causes the moisi ture and air contained on or in these unwetted areas` of the granules to be vaporized and expanded, thereby forming blisters in the asphalt. 'I'he result of this continued action is ultimately to cause the entrapped air and/or moisture to be expelled through the asphalt with the formation of eruptions. The-abovel theory is given merely "to bind the coloring agent to the granule and/or by way of explanation and is not to be taken by way of limitation.

In order to overcome the tendency towards blisteringl in the products of ,the4 character set forth and so that the production cost of composition roofing or siding may bematerially reduced, I have developed' the hereindescribed product and method of procedure.

In its broad aspect. the invention consists in a roofing-or siding comprising a foundation -or base with a coating of asphalt thereon, in which is partially embedded granular surfacing material. Only the exposed or unembedded portions of the granules are associatedwith a coloring matter bound to or united with the granules by means of a fixing agent derived from sodium.-

silicate or the v like, insolubilized by chemical treatment.

Briefly stated, this novel product may preferably be yproduced in the following manner. The asphalt' coated base or foundation may be showered in any convenient manner with` granules to be artiiicially colored.` 'Thereafter the base is subjected to pressure, as by means of press rolls to cause the surfacing granules to become partially embedded-in the coating layer and the surfaced face is treated with a pigmented silicate that is substantially insolubilized thereon by subsequent chemical treatment at a comparatively low temperature. Where molten asphalt is employed as the coating layer, advantage may be taken of the elevated temperature of the granules, caused by the hot asphalt,` to hasten the drying of the granules and promote the insolubilization of the coloring and/or the potential fixing agent.

In the accompanying drawing, I have sho conventionally, an arrangement of apparatus for carrying out the invention in the manufacture of composition roong or siding in which the base comprises a felted fibrous' material.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, in elevation, of a portion of a roofing machine, showing suitable mechanism for carrying out the-invention;

Figure 2 illustrates a plan view of Figure 1, with the upper portion of thev sprayers broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged or magnified view, in cross-section, of a sheet of roofing material surfaced with mineral granules and depicting `the lm of artificial coloring on the exposed or unembedded portions of the granules produced in accordance with the invention.

My invention may be carried out by forming a suspension consisting of a suitable mixture of a coloring medium such as, ultramarine blue or chrome green oxide, (CrzOa), and a potential fixing agent or binder such as, sodium silicate having the general composition of 38 percent sodium silicate and 62 percent water. Although a wide range of sodium silicates may be employed, I have found that a sodium silicate serving my purpose contains 1 part of NazO and 3.25 parts of SiOz. The mixture -of coloring medium and silicate is preferably agitated until there is a substantially uniform suspension of the coloring medium in the silicate.

In the drawing, the reference character S indicates an asphalt impregnated foundation or base of felted fibrous material, such as is customarily employed for the production of asphaltic composition roofng. This saturated or impregnated web may be coated with asphalt or other desired weatherproof coating supplied to the web through a coating feed tank I0 and the coating layer is doctoredto a predetermined thickness by the doctoring rolls II. Thereafter a surfacing layer of granules which are to be artificially colored are showered from a hopper I2 onto the asphalt coating, the granules being caused to become partially embedded in the coating by winding the surfaced web around a plurality of drums or press rolls I3. If it-is desired that the product have a single or uniform color or monotone shade, the surfaced web as it passes from the last drum I3 onto the rst of a plurality of loopers Il, and preferably while it is 'ina horizontal plane, is coated over its entire widthwlse extent with a nlm of the prepared uniformly colored suspension which is projected onto the sheet preferably in theI form of a fine atomized spray from a multicompartment sprayer I5, the nozzle I6 of which may extend the width of the sheet. Any suitable quantity of the prepared suspension may be sprayed on to the surfaced face of the web, and the rate of spray that I have found suitable for my purposes for the production of a light shade of green, consists in. applying to substantially every one hundred square feet of the surfaced face, approximately two pounds of prepared suspension having the following formula by Weight,

Parts Commercial sodium silicate 10 Water L 5 Chrome green oxide (Cr2Os)- 1 Where it is desired that the product shall have a multi-color effect, each compartment of the sprayer I5 may be supplied with a differently colored suspension. These suspensions may be projected onto the sheet to provide thereon a plurality of bands of different colors.

Instead of coating the granules with a pig- 'ment carried in a suspension of the silicate, the

preferably while it is in a horizontal plane, be-

neath the sprayer I9, and then over the looper I8. The sprayer I9 extending entirely across the sheet projects an insolubilizing solution such as ammonium sulphate, aluminum chloride, or the like onto the silicated, pigmented surfaced face of the sheet.

Anysuitable quantity of ammonium sulphate or aluminum chloride may be usedA to insolubilize the pigmented silicate, and I have found that two to ve pounds of a five percent ammonium sulphate solution applied to one hundred square feet of the silicated, pigmented surfaced face accomplishes the desired result. Thereafter the web travels over the loopers I8 and is sufficiently dried before being conveyed to cutting or winding mechanism 20 for producing shingle elements or for winding into rolls.

The cutting or winding mechanism 20 is located forwardly of the festooning mechanism I8 a suncient distance so as to afford ample time for the insolubilizing reaction and drying to take place before the cutting or winding operao tion is performed.

If i't is found desirable to hasten the drying and to promote the insolubilizing reaction, a current of warm air ranging in temperature from about80 to 150 F. may be passed over the sheet by means of the hot air lines 2l and 22 located forwardly of the silicate and ammonia sulphate base of the material, which may, as stated, comter produced in the manner described, is indicated by the numeral Il, and comprises the pigment and insolubilized silicate 'aflixed to the exposed or unembedded surface areas of the granules 32.

Although I have specicaiiy described the artiiicial coloring of roofing composition as it is manufactured on the conventional roofing maf chine, I do not wish4 to be. limited thereby. My process has the advantage in that it lends itself to being employed notonly on a roofing machine; but in the artificial-coloring of granules on roofings or sidings already laid and which it is 'desired to color because of ltheir faded, or other undesirable appearance.

I claim as niv invention:

1. A weather resistant covering comprising a base having a bituminous coating layer on one surface thereof. minerai granulespartially embedded in the coatinglayer, the exposed surfaces only of said granulesbeing covered with a film comprising a coloring medium and a fixing agent prising an insolubilized silicate.

2. A weather resistant covering comprising la Abase having abituminus coating layer on #one surface thereof, mineral granules partiailycm- .insolubilizing material.

bedded in the coating layer, the exposed surfaces` aonly of said granules being covered with a film one surface thereof, mineral granules partially embedded in the asphalt coating layer, the ex- '10 posed surfaces ,only of said granules carrying a nlm of coating which comprises a coloring medium and the reactionproducts of a soluble siiicate and an `insolubilizing agent therefor.

4. weather resistant covering comprising a 15.

bass of fibrous feit impregnated with asphalt, a. layer of asphaltic coating material amxed to one 'surface of saidbase. artificially colored granules. partially embedded in said asphaltic coating, and a weather resistant fixing agent for the 20 artificial coloring covering those surfaces only of the granules which are not embedded in the asphaltic coating, said fixing agent vcomprising the reaction product of a,:soluble silicate and an ORIN R. DOUTHE'IT. 

